The 8BitDo Pro 2 is the big brother of the SN30, which came out two years ago. In my opinion, this is one of the best controllers you can buy for its versatility and build quality. I just wanted to get that out there from the onset.
Ploylab sent me the Pro 2, mainly as I was interested in finding out how it would work with mobile gaming, particularly as a lot of my reviews of late have revolved around gaming products.
For $65.99, it really does offer everything you would want in a Windows/Switch/Android/iOS controller. Yes, this controller is probably one of the most versatile controllers I have used, and I absolutely love it.
Similar in style to the SN30 Pro, The Pro 2 comes in various colours, including black and grey, and it looks very similar to the old style Super NES controller but with added dual analog sticks and comfortable grips.
You get the standard controls that you’d expect, including a plus-shaped direction pad, four face buttons (A/B/X/Y), two smaller Start and Select buttons in the middle, and dual analog sticks, with these being placed parallel to each other, similar to the Sony DualShock controller.
You then have two small, circular buttons that can be used for the Home and Capture buttons that you would find on the Nintendo Switch’s controller. Finally, a profile button and three LEDs sit between the analog sticks. The profile button is the first indication of the upgrade to the Pro 2.
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Paddles and shoulder buttons.
Further signs of the upgrade can be found on the back of the controller. As well as the shoulder bumpers (L1, L2, R1, R2), which sit on the gamepad’s top edge, you also get another pair of buttons on the inside of the grips. These are both programmable P1 and P2 buttons that can be set to any input by using the 8BitDo app.
There is also a small slider with positions marked as S, A, D, and X. The S will put the controller in Switch mode, A for iOS/Mac, D for Android and X for Windows mode. Everything is set out so simply, and I found connecting to everything (except Windows) was flawless and instantaneous.
The Pro 2 has a built-in 1,000mAh rechargeable battery, which should give you up to 20 hours between charges and will take around four hours to fully charge.
All buttons can be fully remapped using the app I mentioned earlier. This includes downloading it on Android or iOS phones/tablets. If you want to connect it to a Windows PC, you can also change the trigger sensitivity (sorry, you cant do this using the downloadable app).
You can adjust everything from the sensitivity of the analog sticks and triggers, change the dead zones, and even swap the sticks with each other, including the triggers and the direction pad. You can also change the intensity of the controller’s left and right vibration motors.
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Fully customisable buttons.
I tested the Pro 2 with a Nintendo Switch, as well as my iPad Pro (for Xbox streaming), and the controller worked absolutely flawlessly on both. It paired straight away with both systems, and when I switched them off and tried reconnecting, the Pro 2 did it straightaway.
One other feature the Pro 2 has is motion controls, which worked as they should when playing Switch games. Playing Super Mario 3D felt so much better using the Pro 2, and it just worked straightaway. The gyroscope and the rumbling both worked really well, I just have nothing to complain about.
Regardless of what I played, the Pro 2 just felt really good to use. Whilst it does feel a little different than most similar controllers, such as the Switch Pro, the solid feel and excellent quality make the Pro 2 a must for any gamer on the move or playing games at home. It’s a must buy, in my opinion.
Grab your own 8BitDo Pro 2 HERE
